dαrĸeѕт αт мιdηιgнт ᵂᴴᴼ ˁᴬᴵᴰ ᴰᴱˁᵀᴵᴺʸ ᵂᴬˁ ᴼᴺᴸʸ ᶠᴼᴿ ᴴᴱᴿᴼᴱˁ﹖
by FyreMyst
Summary: Firestar, Brambleclaw, Jayfeather, Dovewing, Lionblaze, Feathertail; all cats in prophecies that ultimatly saved the Clans. They were good cats, honored heroes. But who said prophecies could only be given to the good guys? Who said there couldn't be a prophcecy about a murderer? About a destroyer? About evil? About me?
1. Title Page!

**Summary**

Firestar, Brambleclaw, Jayfeather, Dovewing, Lionspirit, Feathertail; all cats in prophecies that ultimatly saved the Clans. They were good cats, honored heroes.

But who said prophecies could only be given to the good guys?

Who said there couldn't be a prophcecy about a murderer?

About a destroyer?

About evil?

About **_me._**

* * *

**Welcome!**

Welcome to Darkest at Midnight, or DaN as I usually call it. Many of you have asked me about this story that is taking up so much of my writing time, and so I decided it was time to introduce another story to fan-fiction. This story was never actually going to be written; I made the title up and posted it as an experiment in warriorcats forums to test how the title impacts how many people would look at it. But then an idea sprouted in my head. I wrote a one-shot on it, and everyone wanted to know what happened next! Finally, I got the time and wrote it to what it is today! So sit back and enjoy the epic journey of a villan's time to shine!

* * *

**Important Characters **

_Mosspaw- _A light brown tortoiseshell she-cat with a white chest and boots. She has light green eyes and wide shoulders, giving her a strong build almost like that of a tom.

_Raintalon- _A dark gray tom with amber eyes. Mosspaw's mentor.

_Honeypaw- _Mosspaw's sister. Honeypaw is a petite she-cat with a light tan pelt.

_Foxpaw- _Mosspaw's brother. A ginger tom with bright blue eyes and a slim build meant for running.

_Scorchstar- _Leader of ThunderClan. Scorchstar is a massive ginger tom with black paws.

_Featherheart- _ThunderClan's medicine cat. A cream-colored tom with yellow eyes. He almost never washes himself.

_Heronfoot- _A long-furred, tan tom. Half-RiverClan.


	2. Chapter 1 - In the Beginning

**Chapter one**

I'm part of a prophecy. Actually, I _am_ the prophecy.

What a way to start a conversation, or even a story if I live to tell it. Ha, I can count on my paw the number of cats who are good enough kill me now, and I have wits enough to stay well away from them.

So if you see this, it must mean it's part of the story; it must mean I lived. That's a good thing I suppose, I still have plenty of things to do on this earth before I go. But what happened in between? How did the prophecy end? Well, that's for you to find out.

It all started when I was an apprentice. My mentor, Raintalon, was supposed to show me around the territory for the first time that day.

"That's not fair! _I_ have to fetch moss for the elders!"

"I had to search them for ticks yesterday _and_ clean the nusery. I _deserve_ to go out. All you did was snore!" I retorted smugly, feeling satisfaction as Honeypaw whipped around and stomped out of camp, her light yellow tail lashing as she left.

"Mosspaw!" The tortoiseshell fur on my shoulders rose as I heard my mentor call out from across the hollow. I knew he had heard our quarrel, but I hadn't done anything wrong; I only told the truth. Honeypaw _had_ slept all day while I had to do chores. I derserved to do something fun for doing all that boring work. "That's no way to treat a clanmate, let alone your own sister. You will go apologize after we get back." He stepped past me and into the thorn tunnel leading into the forest.

I followed, glad I hadn't been punished with elder duty and was still able to go out into the forest. I know my sapphire eyes were glowing in excitement as I followed Raintalon's dark gray speckled form cut through the dense bushes.

Sights, scents and noises filled my senses to the brim as I padded through the forest. My mouth opened wide in awe as I tried to spin my head in every direction at once as to see everything I could. I could hear jays crying in the trees, I could smell the earthy smell of ferns and I could see green everywhere. Everything was just green, green and more green. I loved it.

I stopped abruptly; a wild, tangy scent filled my nose and knocked me back almost like I had ran into a tree. "Got your first wiff of WindClan, eh?" Raintalon said in amusement. "We're almost at the border." I shook my head to clear some of the stench away before stepping forward and following my mentor through the last of the thick trees to the bank of a thin stream.

"Is this the border?" I asked, padding over to the bank and spashing a paw to the warm water; my eyes growing wide as ripples spread out from beneath it, starting small, but growing until they reached the far bank.

_ This is your fate, Mosspaw. You will start small, but gain power until you will rule the whole forest._

I jerked back from the water, cutting off the voice in my head. A surge of raw energy raced through my body, making my fur prickle, before dissipating into the river with a small ripple. _What_ was _that thing?_ I thought in confusion, shaking out my fur. "Don't like the water?" Raintalon purred, coming up behind me.

I thought about how odd I must have looked and hastily nodded, glad for the excuse. I felt the words were some only meant for my ears. "Yes. It's... wet," I finished lamely. _Wet? Really?_ I mentally scolded myself, but Raintalon just flicked his ears in agreement.

"I never liked the water either. The only time I try to touch it is in one of Featherheart's swimming lessons. Speaking of which, you might be having your first lesson tomorrow or the next," he announced. I brightened up, glad of one more guarunteed day out of camp.

My tail flicked up as I remembered something I meant to ask as soon aas we got out of camp. "Has Foxpaw been out yet? I didn't have a chance to talk to him."

"Not to the borders. He was out helping Tallberry gather herbs. But he might have seen more than us if we stand here all day," Raintalon mewed, starting forward along the border.

I purred and jumped forward, full of energy once again. "Remember this scent. You'll need to be able to find out who's the allies and who are the enemies in a heartbeat in the middle of a battle." I nodded, sure I pick out this scent wherever and whenever Raintalon pleased.

The ferns started to grow thicker as we followed the border and we were forced to go closer to the border. I wrinkled my nose; the scent of WindClan overwhelming my senses. It smelled like it was all around me. I turned my head towards the heart of our territory... and the smell grew stronger!

"Raintalon," I mewed hesitantly, unsheathing my claws. "I think-"

But I never got to finish speaking as a large tom stinking of WindClan bowled me over and pushed my face into the dirt. "Don't move or else your apprentice here is crow-food!" 


	3. Chapter 2 - Stars

My eyes grew wide in shock as I scrabbled my paws against the ground uselessly.

He was a full grown warrior with moons of experience.

I was little more than a kit and had no training whatsoever.

This was _not a_ fair fight in any way, shape, or form.

And I was _not_ going to deal with it.

I went limp, making sure I looked defeated and tired. I swear I saw arrogance flicker across his face. The emotion of a cat who knew they were winning and their opponents couldn't do anything in return. Perfect.

"What do you want?" I heard Raintalon growl. I couldn't see him from my position on the ground, but I knew his dark gray fur would be bristled, his long, deadly claws unsheathed and fangs bared. I could hear several different shufflings move around me and knew there were even more warriors coming to surround the fierce ThunderClan warrior.

I listened harder.

There were none right behind me.

"Redstar sent us to deliver a message. This land belongs to WindClan now. Tell Scorchstar to keep his warriors out; we will guard this section of forest as heavily as the rest of our territory," I heard a cat respond in a silky voice in front of me.

I hated him for doing this to me.

His voice, forever imprinted on my brain, is the one on which my fury would gain revenge.

One day.

I heard more leaves rustle around, but my head was still firmly clamped the other direction and I couldn't see anything going on. "Then let us go and tell him that." I heard calmness enter Raintalon's mew as I figured he realized they would let us go.

I relaxed for real this time, glad I hadn't had to try my risky escape. I trusted my mentor's judgement.

"Hmmm..." the cat mewed, "we are under orders to deliver the message in any way possible. Maybe we should... show how fircely we'll defend our new borders. I think sending a little reminder will help you convice Scorchstar to stay away from our land, wouldn't you agree?" I heard the distinct click of claws unsheathing followed by a chorus of hoots from the WindClan warriors.

I had to do something.

Now.

I took a deep breath, calming the broiling rage inside me. I closed my eyes.

_ One._ I heard the tom step closer to my mentor. In that heartbeat, a image of the cat, a dusty tan tom, flashed behind my closed eyelids, his ivory claws raised right in front of my mentor's face. Taunting him to attack first, torturing him by forcing him to wait.

_ Two._ The crowd seemed to hold its breath in anticipation. The forest went silent as if it knew of the atrocities commited just outside the border. I could feel the cat holding me shift his weight to get a better veiw...

_ Three!_ I thrust my body out from under the tom and pushed my way out into the forest, all my thoughts focused on getting back to camp in time to warn Scorchstar of what was happening.

I raced down the trail leading back to camp, my paws flying over the ground, my tail streaming behind me. The green forest that had awed me before passing in a blur. I burst out of the trees to find my paws sloshing in water.

_The lake!_ The large expanse of water took my breath away as I stood at the bank, but I swiftly turned and ran back into the forest, intent on finding my way back home.

I was lost.

In my own territory.

_StarClan help me! I need to get to camp!_ My paws started to slow and my lungs felt like liquid fire as I ran cluelessly around the massive forest territory. Suddenly, a dark brown tabby matirialized beside me, his pawsteps matching mine stride for stride. Slowly, I felt energy return to my limbs, the fire in my lungs quenched as cooling water flowed down my throat.

"Follow this trail, It'll lead you to your camp," he mewed in a strong voice. "You were right to leave your mentor; you should always put yourself above all others, Mosspaw. You are meant to survive. Do whatever you have to to secure your leadership. It's your fate, your destiny. Don't let anything get in the way."

I found myself nodding, slowing as I noticed we were already drawing towards the edge of the hollow. The tabby bared his fangs, his ice-blue eyes bright as he drew ahead. "Remember, you are meant to rule the forest!"

I stopped at the rim of the hollow and watched as the tabby flung himself off the edge and dissapeared into the air.

I stood in awe, feeling like I've been touched by a god.

Which in a way, I had. 


	4. Chapter 3 - Vengeance

"No!" I yowled, throwing myself at the bundle of gray-and-red fur that was once my mentor. I shoved my muzzle into his pelt, whimpering. The blood that stained his pelt dripped onto my paws, turning the brown-and-white fur crimson.

If I would have stayed and fought.

If I hadn't run.

He would still be alive.

"Scorchstar, we chased them off. They won't be so quick to take ThunderClan land again."

My eyes, dull from grief, barely took in the white coat of Birchcloud, the deputy. She had a long, ragged gash parting her long fur and one of her green eyes was starting to swell, but she held herself high as she reported to the black-and-ginger patched leader.

I hardly noticed when Cherryfall wailed and ran over to bury her nose in her mate's fur and the rest of the patrol came around to grieve. Exhaustion and misery made my eyes droop despite the commotion and soon I felt sleep tug me out of my body and into dreams, my nose still buried in Raintalon's lifeless fur. 

* * *

I jolted awake when I felt something hard prod my flank. I blinked open my eyes to see the deep orange fur of my only brother, Foxpaw, standing over me. I sat up stiffly, wondering why I was outside, before remembering what had happened the previous day. Frantically scanning the clearing, I barely caught a glimpse of Raintalon's tail dragging out of the hollow, leaving a furrow of sand in its wake, before he was gone.

Forever.

I tensed, determined to stay collected and conscious of my surroundings instead of drifting off into sorrow over my mentor's death.

Over his _murder._

Through the grief, I was able to find another emotion: one I gripped onto as if it was a lifeline; one that gave me strength and purpose past being a warrior; one I knew was unbreakable.

Revenge.

**{{ This chapter was short, so I'll be releasing chapter four tomorrow morning! }}**


	5. Chapter 4 - Changes

I yawned, waking just before the sun touched the lakeshore. I padded silently out of my den and into the clearing, leaving the four other apprentices- my siblings: Honeypaw and Foxpaw, and Rosebreeze's kits: Thrushpaw and Icepaw- asleep in their dens.

I was assigned a new mentor the day after Raintalon's death. Scorchstar tried to get Redstar to punish his warriors for killing Raintalon in cold blood at my first gathering –the moon conveniently rising to full only a couple sun-rises after the event-, but his warriors had just complained it was for self-defense as Raintalon had attacked them first.

There was not a scratch on any of those rabbit-munchers.

My first time out: I was attacked by WindClan.

My first gathering: ruined by some lying WindClan warriors.

I was starting to really hate WindClan.

"Come on, Mosspaw. Too late for fresh-kill; you can hunt while we're on dawn patrol if you're hungry." I blinked, jolted out of my memories by Heronfoot, my mentor. I padded over to the patrol, taking in the sight of Heronfoot again.

He looked so... out of place in ThunderClan it was hard not to stare. Every long, coarse hair on his light brown pelt screamed RiverClan and his paws were large and flat; just what RiverClan cats needed to swim. His tail was long and curling with a white tipped plume on the top and white streaked his legs and shoulders.

The only thing normal about him was his eyes; the same mint green as his ThunderClan mother, Sageflower.

The rest of him looked exactly like Minnowflight, his father. His _RiverClan_ father.

I could tell being half-Clan bothered him, but he didn't act like a RiverClan cat nor did he smell like one. He was a good fighter even if hunting in the brambles gave him trouble. He never complained or reacted when people brought up his heritage. He was strong for carrying the burden of his parents.

I respected him for that.

The rest of the patrol was comprised of Halfwing- a gray she-cat with a stumpy tail- and Cloudheart- a white she-cat supposedly distantly related to Cloudtail and, through him, the legendary Firestar.

I didn't believe her. It's been too long since the cats of prophecies had roamed the forest to even know who were descendants of them. Every kit heard the stories passed down from elder to elder about the Great Journey, the Three, Firestar and Tigerstar, the Battle of the Stars, and even the war with BloodClan in the old territories. Then they wished they were related to those cats or that there would be more prophecies soon.

It never happened.

Most cats are starting to think the elder's stories are just stories; tales spun from a cat with a big imagination.

I don't know what to think anymore.

Maybe they-

"Merow!" I exclaimed, tumbling down the hill, my paw throbbing where it jammed on a root.

The briars caught on my fur as I felt, pulling and tugging on my skin. Dirt pushed into my pelt and the grime made my pelt crawl in disgust. Finally, I rolled to a stop in a clump of grass.

The forest felt different here.

Dark.

Unfamiliar.

I sat up and shook off my pelt, dislodging some of the offending dirt and leaves. I looked around for my Clanmates and saw them picking their way down the steep hill.

I felt something behind me, the fur on my shoulders rising as my instincts took over. I turned, finding myself eye to eye with a furious ShadowClan warrior.

_Why did it always have to be me?_

**{{ CONTEST: What do you think will happen? Guess correctly (In a PM! Not the critique!) to win a place for your OC to have a major role in the story! }}**


	6. Chapter 5 - First Steps

**{{ So, we only had a couple guess for the contest, and I doubted I'd get any more while this page dropped through the ranks of the updating stories, so I decided it was time for an update instead of waiting for more entrants. Sorry if you wanted to join in but didn't; there will be many more contests to enter so long as this continues to have postitive feedback! Enjoy the chapter! I think most will find it... interesting. It was really fun to write! }}**

"Prey-stealer!" she hissed. The warrior in front of me was a small gray-and-white tabby she-cat, her muzzle short and flat against her skull. Her fur, long and perfectly groomed, shone in the light dappling the forest floor.

I thought she would have been pretty if there wasn't a snarl splitting her face like a puckered scar.

I flicked my tail, trying to keep my voice calm although I was seething inside. Didn't this cat have _eyes?_ I must've sent an avalanche down that hill. "I fell down the hill."

The small tabby flattened her ears and stepped towards me. I noticed her paws were tense; her claws not yet unsheathed, but ready to do so at a moment's notice. "How do I know you didn't fall on purpose just to get into our territory?" Her voice was laced with anger as potent as poison.

"Um. Because it _hurt_," I responded sarcastically, gesturing to the torn fur on my broad shoulders. The small scrapes only bled a little, but good StarClan did they _sting._

She seemed to see me for the first time then. She shook her head and backed away, the snarl melting from her face. "You're the one whose mentor was murdered. You must still be grieving. You're not prepared for a fight yet; I'd be surprised if you could bring yourself to fight another cat again after that. My apologies."

I blinked in shock before narrowing my eyes again in anger, rage tinting the forest red. I might still yearn to avenge his death, still vividly image my claws slicing through those fox-hearted WindClan warrior's throats one by one, but I was _not_ weak.

Not if I wanted to destroy those cowardly rabbit-munchers for good.

I was strong.

I had to be.

"I don't want your pity!" I yowled, lunging at her horror-filled face with a shudder of rage. I threw her to the ground, landing on top of her and pinning the small warrior down with my immense size. I looked into her eyes, red in color from the haze that covered my own. "I am just as strong as any other cat. Stronger. I don't need protection. I don't need pity. _I'm_ the one all of you should look up to," I roared, my spit flying into her fur.

"That's. My. Destiny!" I punctuated each word with a swipe of my claws into her throat, watching as the crimson liquid stained my paws red.

Just like Raintalon's had.

The life drained out of her, turning her eyes dull and glassy, her struggles to escape my paws growing feebler and feebler until she was only trembling on the ground. Once she stopped shaking, I stepped off the body and turned back into my own territory.

I had just killed.

And it wasn't as hard as I thought.


	7. Chapter 6 - Promises

I made a detour towards the lake to where the stream veered out of ShadowClan territory to mark the border with ThunderClan.

I sure couldn't go back looking like this.

Slowly, the green of the forest started to enter my vision, beating out the redness. It was calming being on my own territory. The ferns rustled gently as I wove through them, my trail invisible.

I wondered what I would tell the patrol when I got back. I could surely say I found the body and fled, remembering Raintalon. No one would ever suspect me. I was only an apprentice.

I could also say I hit my head coming down and had a hard time finding my way back.

But that would probably land me in the medicine cat den with only Featherheart for company. I shivered, revolted by the thought.

Featherheart may have been handsome once, but now…

I thought he really needed a thorough washing.

Or two.

It didn't take long before I was standing in the shallows—on ThunderClan's bank of course—watching the ribbons of red leak from my paws to be swept downstream. I felt a chill run up my legs and a cold breeze flattened my fur on my left side.

I turned my head to see the piercing blue eyes I had seen my first day out. His dark tabby paws stood next to mine, the water flowing through them as if he wasn't actually there.

Which if he was a StarClan warrior, he wasn't. I stared at his paws, the water passing straight through him keeping me enthralled. Suddenly, his paws started leaking red, crimson seeping through his claws, turning the whole river red with blood.

He was just like me.

I let my eyes drift back up to his sharp muzzle. His eyes shone with pride, as if I were his prize apprentice who had just turned a warrior. "You are going to be my apprentice, Mosspaw." I flinched in shock that he had been able to tell my exact thoughts. "Our training starts tonight, young one."

I realized I thought of him the perfect mentor, the prime fighter that could teach me everything I ever wanted. The one who could help me defeat WindClan and get my revenge on my early-fallen mentor. I smiled.

Everything was perfect now.

"I'll be there," I promised. He just stared at me and nodded before evaporating in a gust of chilling wind, leaving me standing in the river for the ThunderClan patrol to find me.


	8. Chapter 7 - Promises Broken

**{{ Heyo! Back from vacation with another chapter of DaN! I'm falling behind a little as this is my last pre-written chapter, but I hope to continue updating every-other-day! Now this version is caught up with my warriorcats version, so there'll be more contests, faster updates, and more excitement all around! R&R, Read and Enjoy!  
****~Fyre}}**

"I j-just found her... just lying there. Blood-so much blood. I-I ran. I-I-I didn't think. I just ran. As far as I could. I-I'm sorry for the t-trouble I must've caused at camp," I lied. I forced my body to quiver and shudder, my voice to stutter. It had to feel as if I ran from fear of seeing the body, not fear of being caught.

I watched with glowing pride as I saw Scorchstar's eyes soften as if he were comforting a kit. I almost smiled despite faking being scared out of my wits. Ha. I covered up by letting my head drop as if I were exhausted. "Go to Featherheart. He'll give you herbs for the shock before you can rest.

"Thank you," I whispered before slowly making my way out of the leader's cave. I slowly picked my way down the ledges leading up to the cave, making sure to pause on some of them. I wish I could have leaped down and got it over with, but I had to keep up the act until I was snug in my nest.

I jumped down from the last stone, jarring my shoulder as I landed awkwardly on a patch of uneven ground. I sucked in a breath, closing my eyes in pain before limping over to the medicine cat's den. _At least now I had a real reason to be here instead of my fake shock,_ I thought wryly as I slipped through the bramble screen.

The smell of herbs wreathed around me as I entered. It was pleasant, like the air just after a rain. The effect was completely ruined when I saw movement in the back of the cave and a fresh wave of unwashed cat slapped me in the face like a piece of rotten prey.

I wrinkled my nose in disgust and limped quickly over to an unused nest near the edge of the cave. Featherheart come over to where I sat, a clump of sweet herbs in his mouth. He set them near my paws, motioning to eat them while he went back into the stores. I obeyed and ate them up, the bitter taste almost as bad as Featherheart's stench. I kept one clover-shaped leaf under my paw, relishing the aroma to chase away the smell of unwashed cat.

But all too soon the off-white tom was back, bringing with him a variety of different herbs. I hope I don't have to eat all of those, I thought, watching the bundle with wide eyes. As if guessing my thoughts, Featherheart explained them to me. "They're for your shoulder. I have to treat it with different poultices depending on how severe the strain."

I nodded; relieved I didn't have to eat the foul things. One dose was enough.

"Now," Featherheart mewed, "I have to check and see what's wrong. It might hurt a little…" He placed his grimy paws on me and I shuddered, both with pain and disgust.

'A little' my tail. That was defiantly the understatement of the day. By the time Featherheart had stopped probing and started getting the herbs ready, my throat was sore from yowling in agony and my shoulder throbbed harder than it had when I had first twisted it.

But Featherheart must've known what he was doing, for as soon as he put the poultice on it had stopped aching almost instantly.

I shifted my body, amazed when it didn't hurt. "Now you should rest. You've had a hard day."

I nodded numbly, only sub-consciously remembering to keep up the act. Featherheart smiled and turned back to his cave behind the main medicine cave.

Alone for the first time since I entered camp, I let myself relax, a mellow grin spreading over my face.

They didn't suspect a thing.

Though I never was in shock, I was still just as tired as any cat that had to wake up for dawn patrol and then promptly fell down a hill, so I decided I should be lazy while I could before Heronfoot deemed me ready for training again.

I knew I deserved some time off; I had trained hard, harder than all the others. I needed to be ready as soon as a chance came to punish WindClan. If they stepped a toe over the border, I wanted to be ready.

But now I had my shoulder that needed to heal as well. The best thing I could do was rest, and so I did, quickly falling into a deep sleep. Too late did I remember my meeting with the dark tabby. I couldn't attend, not with feigning shock and the completely real hurt shoulder. I wondered if he would be angry with me for not being true to my promise.


	9. I'm back!

Hey everyone that is still watching for updates! My account has finally stopped malfuntioning! Yay! So that means I'm back and ready to go with more updateson my stories. Unfortunately though, I do not have anything pre-written. Dx But I do have a temporary laptop, so stuff is coming soon! Thank you allso so much for hanging in there; I promise, good things will come very soon! See y'all next time with an update or two!

~ Fyre


	10. Chapter 8 - Darker we Go

_**{{ I'm back with a surprise! Chapter eight of DaN! II'm glad for the break, as it has refreshed me and my passion for this story. I thank you all so much for sticking theough this, and hope you enjoy this chapter! I believe the time off let me have a chance to improve, and I think it shows here! But whether you think this style is an improvement is really up toyou. Xp. So enjoy! And remember to leave a comment if you liked this;the more comments to keep me motivated, the faster the next chapter will come out! Thank you all for reading! Fyre is back in action. }}**_

I snapped awake, feeling a cat's hard eyes on my fur. Instinctively, my fur bristled and my claws unsheathed, seemingly of their own will. I dropped to a crouch, spinning slowly around to face the cat -for I had the feeling that was who the eyes belonged to, even if I couldn't see it.

The bushes rustled. I darted my eyes over, peering inside from my hidden cove in the long grass. I was intent on my prey. I didn't notice the mostly-dead trees. I didn't notice the flickering lights, the glowing toadstools, the starless skies.

A paw. Then the eyes. The chilling, ice-cold blue eyes. I relaxed, realizing who they belonged to. The images I missed now crowded around my head as the dark brown tom revealed himself fully.

I felt like a kit, letting such a small thing scare me so much. I should have tried scenting first. I should have considered my surroundings. It could have been an ambush, and then I would have been dead.

I should have, I could have, I would have... but I didn't. I made mistakes. A cat like me couldn't make mistakes. Not if she wanted to stay alive. I couldn't. I _shouldn't_.

And there's those words again.

"Welcome to my home."

I looked around, finally letting the images in my head sink in, have meaning. This wasn't StarClan. At least, I didn't think so.

It must be the Place of No Stars: the Dark Forest, I concluded. It surprised me; the way this news didn't surprise me. I felt I had known before, the first time I had met this mystery cat. He didn't have the air of perfection around him the way I imagined a StarClan cat would feel. He felt more rugged, like a mountain instead of a cloud.

But mountains were sturdy, reliable, unbudging. Powerful. A cloud was just mist. An illusion of mass, but intangible and distant, unable to move even the smallest pebble.

Maybe I needed the help of a mountain.

I looked up into the tabby's icy eyes again as he continued speaking. "I can see inside you a passion of raging fire. Here I can train you, make you unstoppable. You'll get your revenge." His mew was dark, but filled with promises yet unspoken. I greedily held them close. Each word was a new claw scratch against a WindClan rabbit-muncher in my mind.

"Come," he said sharply, turning and bounding through the dead forest with remarkable ease. I started before regaining my thoughts and bolting after him.

I thought the deadness of the forest would make it easier to see through the bare branches, but I was sorely tom's dark pelt blended in with the shadows so well, I had to follow using small flashes of movement that were only slightly out of place, or the faint crackle of leaves underpaw.

Even then, I lost his trail several times over during the trip. Only a single pawprint in the mud or a couple clumps of fur saved my pelt from completely loosing him each of those times.

I noticed the moon had moved from being directly overhead to hovering just over the treetops in front of me. I began to tire, and my paws no longer felt agile as I tripped and stumbled through the wood. But I still continued on. If this was a challenge, then by the stars I wasn't going to lose.

I was strong. I was capable.

I had to be.

In what felt like moons later (although looking back, it couldn't have been more than an hour), I shoved my way through a particularly thick patch of brambles to find my paws wet with a dark sludge. It didn't feel like water, yet it flowed like a river did.

I licked my lips, my tongue and throat dry from the long travel. I didn't know what this... stuff would do to me if I drank it, but right then, I didn't really care. I was thirsty, and this stuff seemed to be a liquid. Just as I bent my head down to drink the foul stuff, I heard a splash of paws beside me. Where they disrupted the current, fresh water, pure and blue, flowed out. "Drink. You deserve it."

I sighed and eagerly lapped up the water, grateful as the cold water flowed down my throat. "You are determined; a good trait in a warrior. It lets you keep your eyes on the end and gives you strength to push through all obstacles in order to get there." My mind subconsciously registered his words as I drank, and, later, splashed back out of the water onto the riverbank.

My thoughts were dull, flattened by a growing fatigue. Now that I had reached the end, nothing was there to keep me going. I hadn't realized how tired I actually was, making my way through the woods. I blinked slowly, realizing the tabby had said something.

Instead of repeating the words -for I knew he noticed I hadn't the strength to decipher them- he reached his tail out to my back. "Rest. You still have almost half the night before you must wake up again. We can start training tomorrow. Just call me and I'll come."

"Your name?" I slurred, unable to speak properly even when the water had soothed my parched throat. Inwardly, I gathered together the feelings that I thought made up embarrassment over my weakness. Maybe some anger mixed in?

He smiled. "Any cat would be just as weak as you right now, Mosspaw. Seeing that you made it all the way here speaks multitudes of your endurance. Sleep, and you will be rested in the morning. My name. My name is Hawkfrost."

Hawkfrost, I thought, the label having little meaning in my tired mind. The name echoed around in my head, bouncing to and fro until my mind went blank and I collapsed.


	11. Chapter 9 - Into Fire

_**{{ Two chapters in one day? Of course! Action was promised, action is promised! Sorry if it's a bit long. ;) }}**_

"Faster! Faster! Duck, now swipe!" My pale eyes narrowed as I leaped backwards, my extended claws dripping crimson blood as my opponent's foreleg crumpled under her weight. More blood dripped out from the leg while the sandy colored she-cat lay on the grass, moaning. Other thin scratches covered her flanks, but the deep gouge on the paw had to be the most painful.

I winced, feeling her pain. My own wounds stung, but all were insignificant compared to the other she-cat's; mine were barely scrapes, only a couple furs out of place, while hers were still oozing blood. "Good." Hawkfrost jumped down from his perch on a dead stump where he had been instructing my every move. Some of the training sessions were like this, where he would annotate my battle strategy as I started to learn instinctively of what to do on the spot, what wounds would cause the most pain in the least amount of time. Other times, I would fight alone, hoping my own plans were satisfactory in taking out my contender.

"You're learning well," he mewed gruffly. Pride bubbled in my chest, threatening to burst out in display. I pushed it down, knowing keeping control of my emotions was the first step into becoming a warrior.

"I am only this good because I have such a great mentor." I mewed with a dip of my head. I had learned early on that training hurt less when I was submissive. I remembered vividly the first time I had argued with Hawkfrost; the wounds I gained that night were hard to cover up in the morning. Despite how Hawkfrost had been teaching me about keeping emotions in check, I could see amusement lightening his hard eyes.

Hawkfrost looked over to the she-cat, who was now licking the leg clean. "You did well tonight; Heatherwing is quite hard to subdue. It's almost morning, time for you to go, Mossclaw." Mossclaw, I thought, another surge of pride running down my spine. I had been named a full warrior almost a moon ago, but the sound of my new name still felt fresh every time.

I nodded and slipped away silently through the brush to the small clearing I had first arrived in. The long grass there was flattened in the center from my paws as I arrived and exited the Dark Forest. A small nest rested on the edge, woven out of the grass and lined with moss.

I sighed and slipped into the nest, feeling as comfortable as I did in my nest back in ThunderClan. I curled my tortoiseshell fur into the nest, flicked my white-tipped tail over my nose, and closed my eyes.

_* * * * *_

I opened them to find myself squeezed in between Foxcloud and Honeywhisker. Like usual, Honeywhisker was sprawled out, her hind paws over Foxcloud's back while one of her forepaws was pushing hard into my chest. My sister had always been a restless sleeper. I reached out a paw and poked her in the side. She flinched against my touch, retracting all legs into her nest as her pale golden eye flicked open. I purred, not meaning to startle her awake, but amused by her reaction. "Dawn patrol. Birchcloud told us last night, remember?" She moaned and flopped back down, covering her muzzle with a paw. I grinned; Honeywhisker had never been an early riser either. "C'mon," I mewed, getting up.

I slipped out of the large warriors den, the bracken crackling when my spine rubbed up against the fronds. My paws were soaked in dew by the time I made it across the clearing to the camp entrance. Gorsefox and Halftail were also on the dawn patrol, but the clearing was empty of cats. They must still be in the warrior's den. I sat alone and started to groom out my fur, wincing a bit as my tongue scraped this night's wounds. "Already ready to go?" I looked up to see Halfwing's black-and-white patched fur as the she-cat walked over.

"Yeah, the sooner we get out there, the sooner we can be warm," I mewed amiably. The small she-cat was always friendly, and after a while it had rubbed off onto all the cats she talked to. She had been kind to me as an apprentice, and was one of the first to welcome me as a warrior. I liked the small she-cat.

She smiled, one that reached past her mouth to light up her amber eyes. "Leaf-bare still wants to rule, even when green-leaf is just around the corner!" she meowed, sitting across the entrance. "It was so chilly in the warrior's den, I almost expected there to be snow. Or at least frost." A faint whispering came from behind a clump of rocks the elders loved to sun on. Halfwing's ears turned towards the noise and I leaned forward.

"I dare you to climb all the way up!" a faint voice squeaked.

"But mother said—"

"Mother's not here. I think you're just chicken."

"Am not!" The response sounded indignant.

I looked over at Halfwing. "Kits shouldn't be climbing the rock; it's not safe." She nodded and stood, turning towards the whispers. I quickly followed suit, rounding the corner of the rock. "Cricketkit! Tallowkit! You know better than to climb the rock. It's forbidden to kits for a reason; it's dangerous," I scolded as Halfwing came up beside me.

"I told you you were too loud," the black she-kit pouted, poking her sister with a paw.

Halfwing frowned. "Both of you, go back to the nursery and don't try this again. Otherwise I can always have a friendly chat with Scorchstar asking to postpone your apprenticeships." The kits' eyes widened and both backed away from the rock.

"It's okay, I wasn't going to let her actually do it!" Cricketkit mewed.

Tallowkit followed, "yeah, we were just joking." Both kits darted off into the nursery, ducking inside the thick brambles. Halfwing smiled and shook her head, going back to the entrance where a sleepy-eyed Honeywhisker was waiting, the dark gray of Gorsefox beside her.

"Were we like that? Foxcloud, Honeywhisker and I?" I asked the older she-cat. She would have been an apprentice while we were kits.

Halfwing laughed, her eyes bright. "All the time. All the time."

"Whenever you two are done," Gorsefox mewed, the tom's voice accusing and slightly bored.

I rolled my eyes. "Settle your fur. And for the record, we were ready before you were even awake." Gorsefox glared at me and I smiled innocently back, satisfaction settling in my stomach.

Surprisingly, Honeywhisker frowned at me and flicked her tail over Gorsefox's shoulders as if shielding him from me. "Let's go." Gorsefox allowed his eyes a heartbeat longer of glaring before turning and trotting out of camp.

"I wonder what got his tail in a knot," I whispered to Halfwing, padding out of camp shoulder to shoulder. She turned to face me.

"Well, you did kind of snap at him."

I shrugged. "It was true." Halfwing let a frown touch her muzzle before returning to an impassive look. Ahead, Gorsefox and Honeywhisker padded side by side, talking as they walked. They turned, heading down a trail to the creek that bordered WindClan. WindClan, I thought, eager to reach the border. I loved WindClan border patrol; I was watching, waiting for one of their warriors to accidentally cross the border, just enough so I was allowed to slip my claws into their throats… I smiled, giddiness flooding my senses.

Today might be the day.

I heard a hiss and a yowl in front of me and raced forward, my paws jumping on the chance to shred some WindClan flesh.

"ThunderClan! Attack!" Gorsefox yowled from up ahead. I pushed faster, ready to jump into battle, raw energy coursing down my fur. I bared my fangs and yowled, jumping into the fray.

Today was the day.

_**{{ This chapter was long because I couldn't find a place to cut it. Now it's a cliffhanger! /evil laughs/ I know I promised action this chapter, but this had to happen first (the characterization and DF stuff). It's pretty obvious the action will be next chapter, and it will! I do promise that. And don't worry; that chapter is already mostly done and will likely be posted tomorrow! So sorry for the lack of promised action, but this was already too long for the lengthy battle I have planned, and you'll get it soon! }}**_


	12. Chapter 10 - Flames

_**{{So sorry formatting is off, I'm posting this on amoble and copy/paste iisn't the best. Here's you action folks! Enjoy!**_

_**IMPORTANT: A poll for this fic has been posted on my profile! Please vote! Thanks }}**_

Today was the day.

My target was a grey-and-white she-cat. She had been there during Raintalon's murder; she was going to be the first to pay. I lunged at her, my face the picture of revenge. Her eyes widened, but she sidestepped my tackle albeit a little clumsily due to the undergrowth. As soon as my paws touched the ground I whirled to face her, claws extended and fangs bared. The only thoughts running through my mind were those of my claws in her fur, her blood running on the ground.

I was obsessed with the revenge, addicted.

I kind of liked it.

I grinned, all fangs. She was within my grasp, and I was allowed to kill her. Because she crossed the border. Because of the prey at her paws. Because of her being here. Because she made a mistake. And I didn't. I widened my focus like Hawkfrost taught, taking in every detail about her. I noticed the way she crouched, her left paw slightly behind her right, making her shoulder slope a little lower... I lunged.

Just like in training that night (morning?), I darted forward. Her paw sliced at my head, trying to stop my approach, but I anticipated the move and like before, ducked while also initiating my own attack: a claw swipe to her leg. Her left leg, the one she favored. I leaped back just as quickly, watching her grunt in pain, the leg shivering under her weight as blood gushed out.

But she didn't fall. No, she grimaced, but straightened. Her stance was wider to keep her balance on the injured leg, but she didn't retreat. Not yet. And even if she had tried, I wouldn't have let her; she didn't give Raintalon that choice, so I wouldn't give it to her.

I stood a couple paces away, my chest low to the ground. My tortoiseshell-patched tail lashed and a growl rumbled in my chest. I tried taunting her. This time, I wanted her to attack first. I knew she would be at a disadvantage, having to traverse the brambles she was oh-so-incompetent around with an already-weak and now injured leg. She wouldn't have any balance. Not a mousetail's worth.

Likewise, it would be silly to attack first. The she-cat would have the advantage of bracing herself, and seeing what I would do to retaliate. No, she would have to come to me. All this information poured into my brain in the span of a couple heartbeats; analysing battle strategy with Hawkfrost had honed my receptiveness to the point now where it was second-nature to me. I had trained to use it against WindClan, and now it really was happening.

I waited another couple heartbeats, the battle raging around me while I stared into the she-cat's light amber eyes. She didn't move. "So you come in here, steal our prey and don't have the heart to fight for it," I teased, a snarl playing on my face. "WindClan was always full of cow-" A hiss cut me off followed quickly by a searing pain in my hindquarters. The she-cat took that moment to leap at me, bowling me over in the mud.

I yowled in pain and surprise, using my back legs to claw at her stomach as we rolled, a mass of claws and fur and blood. Whoever had clawed at me before was gone, swallowed in the writhing jumble of fighting cats. Rage built inside me and I bucked, heaving my shoulders off the ground, hoping to force her weaker foreleg to give.

I slammed back up against the ground, the she-cat's claws still curled inside my shoulders. She looked at me as if daring me to surrender then and there. But I couldn't. I had to kill her. My thoughts whirled as I sized up my sticky predicament. I couldn't push her off; there was nothing for me to push against. I couldn't submit or even fake it; she'd know what I was doing.

Instead, I did something that surprised even me: I screamed.

As primitive as it was, the trick worked. I had managed to surprise her, letting her paws loosen just the little bit I needed to wriggle free. Finally having the upper hand of the fight again, I leaped, hoping she was still a little disoriented, or at least not prepared for me to attack so soon. I encountered little resistance as I crashed into her chest, my weight and size allowing me to pummel her down.

My eyes gleamed as I stood atop her, my mass smothering any chance of escape. "This is for Raintalon!" I hissed softly before sinking my fangs into her throat. She tried to speak, but only gurgled as liquid seeped into her windpipe, effectively drowning her in her own blood. I spit what blood I had in my mouth onto the ground before leaving her to dive back into the battle.

Honeywhisker had already sent one fleeing, and Halfwind swiftly dispatched another back to the moor. The remaining cats, finding themselves now outnumbered on enemy territory, quickly followed suit and turned tail. I grinned at the winning ThunderClan patrol; we had beaten the WindClan scum.

I turned to the body of the she-cat, satisfaction rolling in my stomach. You paid for what you did in Raintalon's murder, but you weren't the only cat on that patrol, I thought, looking out to where I knew WindClan's territory lay. And you all messed with the wrong she-cat.


End file.
